Troubleshooting: Handling Time Format Mismatches

A "Format Mismatch" occurs when the data sent by the tool (e.g., "13:30") doesn't match the expectation of your sheet or your downstream reporting engines.

Scenario 1: Smartsheet adds a single quote (') before the time

Smartsheet sometimes "auto-detects" numbers and adds a hidden apostrophe (e.g., '12:00) to force it as text.

• SME Solution: Change the destination column in Smartsheet to a Text/Number type. If you are using native Smartsheet "Time" columns, ensure your Time Sheet Tool configuration is set to "ISO Time Output" to match the specific JSON format the Smartsheet API requires for those specialized fields.

Scenario 2: AM/PM is missing in the sheet

If you want "1:00 PM" but only see "1:00" in your sheet, you have likely chosen a 24h output format in our tool while expecting a 12h display.

• Resolution: Adjust your mapping settings in the tool dashboard to "Output Verbose (with AM/PM)." Remember that for math-heavy sheets, 24h (13:00) is always more reliable than 12h (1:00 PM).

Scenario 3: Duration calculations are broken

If your Smartsheet formulas (Start - End) are returning `#INVALID`, the tool is likely sending a string that Smartsheet doesn't recognize as a value.

• The Fix: Instead of using native Smartsheet formulas to calculate duration, use our Working-Time Engine. It is designed to work perfectly with the output of the Time Sheet Tool, handling all format normalization automatically without any complex cell-based logic.